On our move back to Ohio from California, we decided to stop and see the Grand Canyon. We had our two chihuahuas with us, Luna and Pedro, along with a carload of essentials to see us through until our movers showed up with our household stuff. Fifteen-year-old Pedro had been in declining health for some time, and a few weeks before our move, he stopped eating for a few days. I wondered if he would make the cross-country trip. But he rallied and started eating again though it was a constant quest to see what he would eat. We stopped at the Grand Canyon and walked the dogs to a lookout point. It was beautiful and awe-inspiring, and even though it added another half a day to our travels, it was worth it.

Less than a month after we arrived in Ohio, Pedro stopped eating again. He spent most days sleeping, and he wanted to sit outside in the sun whenever he could. He was failing, so we did the most compassionate thing we knew to do and took him to the vet. It was a hard decision, one that no pet owner wants to make. Euthanizing a pet seems like playing god, but when we have the capacity to show mercy and alleviate suffering, then it seems right to use it.

Pedro had a good life. He was well-loved, and he taught us about how love is never wasted and why going slow is better. He even saw the Grand Canyon before he died, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. If there was an eighth wonder of the world, Pedro would be it.